According to Wikipedia, the Basque Government promotes jai alai as “the fastest sport in the world because of the balls”. Insert innuendo joke here. Good, glad we got that out of the way. I’m a little surprised that I haven’t had this yet; I’ve had ample opportunities, just never pulled the trigger… which is weird, because Cigar City is one of those brewers I’m always keeping an eye out for. Well, I finally got me a can of this stuff, so lets chug a beer and ball really hard (if you’re so inclined, feel free to insert whatever innuendo you want here).
Cigar City Jai Alai – Pours a deep, dark golden color with visible sediment and a finger of white head with decent retention. Smells fantastic, bright citrus, juicy pineapple, a little additional piney resin. Taste starts sweet, with some crystal malt, that citrus hop character quickly emerging and morphing into resin and pine. There’s a balanced bite of bitterness in the finish and aftertaste. Mouthfeel is on the lower end of medium bodied, tightly carbonated, almost creamy but also juicy. Overall, this is one really well crafted IPA, but I feel like the bar’s been set pretty high on that front. As shelf beers go, it’s great, but it can’t quite compete with the likes of Tired Hands or Hill Farmstead. B+
Beer Nerd Details: 7.5% ABV canned (12 oz.) Drank out of a tulip glass on 4/12/13. Canned on 15 JAN 2013.
I mentioned Tired Hands and Hill Farmstead, and I realized a while ago that part of the reason their hoppy beers are so spectacular is that I always have them when they are super fresh. The same goes for a bunch of other hop bombs, like Pliny the Younger or Hopslam. I’m not going to claim I have a great palate, but it’s tough for a 3 month old can to compete with that sort of thing. I guess what I’m saying here is that I need to down a six pack of Jai Alai. You know, just to make sure. In the meantime, I’ve got an interesting looking Cigar City beer aged in rum barrels burning a whole in my fridge. Look for a review next week.
I had this while down for the Notre Dame BCS “game”. It was pretty fresh. I thought this beer was great, especially considering it’s just part of their regular lineup, and you can pick up a fresh 6-pack at the grocery store. That being said, B+ seems fair… Not much headroom left on the scale after an A-, especially for a player who drinks Tired Hands and Hill Farmstead as an everyday selection. 😉
Yeah, it feels like I’m starting to grade on a curve these days. Tired Hands has ruined me in that respect… Though I guess that also happens when you compulsively grade every beer you have for 3 years:p But I would totally go for Jai Alai again if I see it…
Maybe you need to start using a Beers Above Replacement metric.